A search for possible interactions between ejections from GRS 1915+105 and the surrounding interstellar medium

Abstract

We have observed an extended region surrounding the first discovered galactic superluminal source GRS 1915+105, seeking evidence of interaction between the relativistic ejecta of that object and the interstellar medium. We find two radio sources axisymmetrically aligned along the sub-arcsecond relativistic ejecta of GRS 1915+105 and roughly 17' distant from it, which coincide with the luminous IRAS sources 19124+1106 and 19132+1035. We have observed these sources at centimeter (VLA), millimeter (IRAM 30m), and infrared (ISO, UKIRT, ESO/MPI 2.2m) wavelengths in both line and continuum emission. At centimeter wavelengths a non-thermal jet-like feature aligned along the outflow axis is located adjacent to the inner edge of the southern source. Strong density enhancements are found in the millimeter tracers CO and H13CO+ at the positions of both sources and some of the morphology is reminiscent of shock-like interactions; however, linewidths are narrow. At infrared wavelengths strong hydrogen recombination lines and weak lines of molecular hydrogen are observed at the southern source. We discuss these results as possible evidence of the sought-after interaction, both in terms of the regions undergoing ongoing shock-heating and in terms of them being locations of shock-induced star formation. The evidence for each of these is inconclusive. Millimeter line mapping of a portion of W 50 where the relativistic jets of the X-ray binary SS 433 interact with the interstellar medium shows roughly similar morphology as GRS 1915+105, suggesting that the phenomena observed at the IRAS sources may not be unusual for such a long distance interaction.

13 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

References in corpus (2)

• AU-Scale Synchrotron Jets and Superluminal Ejecta in GRS 1915+105
• Giant repeated ejections from GRS 1915+105

Cited by in corpus (25)

• GRS 1915+105 and the Disc-Jet Coupling in Accreting Black Hole Systems
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• Multiwavelength observations revealing the evolution of the outburst of the black hole XTE J1118+480
• The jet-powered optical nebula of Cygnus X-1
• Opening angles, Lorentz factors and confinement of X-ray binary jets
• Revision of the properties of the GRS 1915+105 jets: Clues from the large-scale structure
• Estimating the kinetic luminosity function of jets from Galactic X-ray binaries
• Study of the Largest Multiwavelength Campaign of the Microquasar GRS 1915+105
• Spectral, polarisation and time-lag properties of GRS 1915+105 radio oscillations
• Optical and near-infrared observations of the microquasar V4641 Sagittarii during the 1999 September outburst
• Mapping Jet-ISM Interactions in X-ray Binaries with ALMA: A GRS 1915$+$105 Case Study
• The Large-scale ISM of SS433/W50 Revisited
• Aligned Molecular Clouds towards SS433 and L=348.5 degrees; Possible Evidence for Galactic "Vapor Trail" Created by Relativistic Jet
• Jet-ISM Interactions near the Microquasars GRS 1758-258 and 1E 1740.7-2942
• Characterising anomalous transport in accretion disks from X-ray observations
• MeerKAT discovers a jet-driven bow shock near GRS 1915+105. How an invisible large-scale jet sculpts a microquasar's environment
• Possible hot spots excited by the relativistic jets of Cygnus X-3
• A Small-Scale Investigation of Molecular Emission toward the Tip of the Western Lobe of W50/SS433
• Quantifying jet-interstellar medium interactions in Cyg X-1: Insights from dual-frequency bow shock detection with MeerKAT
• Identification of a 12-17 day timescale in X-ray observations of GRS 1915+105
• A search for signatures of interactions of X-ray binary outflows with their environments with ALMA
• Is GRS 1915+105 a microquasar?
• A large misalignment between continuous jet and discrete ejecta in microquasar GRS 1915+105 during its obscured phase
• On the Origin of Cosmic Rays
• Interaction of a high-mass X-ray binary with the interstellar medium through stellar wind. The case of GX 301-2